Is there a way to make it a surprise?

[HouCuseChickie]

Of course we could just tell the kids we're going to Disneyland before we arrive...but that would be too easy. :ROFLOL: (and create an "are we there yet" and/or "why didn't we spend the whole trip here?" situation ) DH and I went to DLR about 9 yrs ago and he went a couple of times as a young kid, but I don't remember enough about the area to gauge if an onsite surprise is feasible OR the most "magical" place to do it. When we drove into the area back in 2003, I remember going past the various Disney owned hotels, being able to see DCA, DTD and some other Disney themed things. While we like staying deluxe at WDW, I don't see a huge advantage to staying at any of the three Disney hotels...i.e. we'll probably be going with one of the good neighbor options within walking distance of the parks. We were thinking of an early breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen before heading into the parks and while I think it would be a neat way to unveil the surprise...I think they will have seen enough to have figured it out by then. Our girls are 5 and 3 and have fairly limited reading abilities, so that works in our favor.

So, based on all of this...does anyone have any thoughts on how to make this a surprise?

 

[nemofinder22]

I would give a look at Google maps street view around the resort depending on how you plan to get to Goofy's Kitchen. I think most of the resort sites are hidden by trees depending on the road and all(assuming this from a kids point of view lol). But nothing sticks out to me as something that will give it way unless your on Harbor and a Monorail passes by.

The actual Disneyland Hotel grounds could give it way(depending on where you look plus characters are sometimes out at the check in area/lobby) as will the Goofy's Kitchen lobby. But they're about to get good news.

There's also Storytellers Cafe(they have a character breakfast as well) at the Grand Californian that resort can help keep the Disneyland surprise a bit more a surprise at least until they see the characters.

 

[TP2000]

Great points nemofinder22 on getting to the Disneyland Hotel on side streets!

What if you drove in from the Resort's west side, coming east on Katella and then turning north on Walnut, then taking that right onto Magic Way from Walnut Street? It would be like you were just driving through residential neighborhoods if you came in from the west and took Walnut.

Here's Magic Way looking at it from the west at the intersection of Walnut Street. It's heavily landscaped and very vague looking. The entrance to the Disneyland Hotel is a half block ahead on the right, but who would know?

There is that big sign on Magic Way that says "Disneyland Hotel" in the classic Disneyland font, but maybe if you distracted the kids as you drove by that you could make it close to the hotel and not have them notice?

Although the CM staffing the parking toll booth at the hotel entrance might be a tip-off. Maybe throw a handful of Hershey's Kisses or half-dollars into the backseat or something, and let them fight over them as you drive by the sign and the CM? (Can you tell I don't have kids?)

But honestly, that far west side of the Resort looks pretty generic and if you drove in from the west the kids would probably not be able to figure out where they were.

 

[wild01ride]

^ I strongly agree with TP2000's advice above.

We did nearly the same thing as you are attempting this past December. We were "visiting friends" in SoCal. Our morning consisted of a continental breakfast at the off-site hotel and then a quick stop at a the CVS on Katella at Euclid.
We jogged up Euclid to Cerritos which takes you literally through a subdivision. A quick dogleg left and you're on Magic Way.
My smart 8 year old of course saw the surroundings by the time we pulled up to the Downtown Disney parking, but we were completely into the parking lot before he fully processed where we were and what was happening.
All-in-all, the surprise worked out pretty well!

Good luck!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I would give a look at Google maps street view around the resort depending on how you plan to get to Goofy's Kitchen. I think most of the resort sites are hidden by trees depending on the road and all(assuming this from a kids point of view lol). But nothing sticks out to me as something that will give it way unless your on Harbor and a Monorail passes by.

The actual Disneyland Hotel grounds could give it way(depending on where you look plus characters are sometimes out at the check in area/lobby) as will the Goofy's Kitchen lobby. But they're about to get good news.

There's also Storytellers Cafe(they have a character breakfast as well) at the Grand Californian that resort can help keep the Disneyland surprise a bit more a surprise at least until they see the characters.

Great points nemofinder22 on getting to the Disneyland Hotel on side streets!

What if you drove in from the Resort's west side, coming east on Katella and then turning north on Walnut, then taking that right onto Magic Way from Walnut Street? It would be like you were just driving through residential neighborhoods if you came in from the west and took Walnut.

Here's Magic Way looking at it from the west at the intersection of Walnut Street. It's heavily landscaped and very vague looking. The entrance to the Disneyland Hotel is a half block ahead on the right, but who would know?

There is that big sign on Magic Way that says "Disneyland Hotel" in the classic Disneyland font, but maybe if you distracted the kids as you drove by that you could make it close to the hotel and not have them notice?

Although the CM staffing the parking toll booth at the hotel entrance might be a tip-off. Maybe throw a handful of Hershey's Kisses or half-dollars into the backseat or something, and let them fight over them as you drive by the sign and the CM? (Can you tell I don't have kids?)

But honestly, that far west side of the Resort looks pretty generic and if you drove in from the west the kids would probably not be able to figure out where they were.

^ I strongly agree with TP2000's advice above.

We did nearly the same thing as you are attempting this past December. We were "visiting friends" in SoCal. Our morning consisted of a continental breakfast at the off-site hotel and then a quick stop at a the CVS on Katella at Euclid.
We jogged up Euclid to Cerritos which takes you literally through a subdivision. A quick dogleg left and you're on Magic Way.
My smart 8 year old of course saw the surroundings by the time we pulled up to the Downtown Disney parking, but we were completely into the parking lot before he fully processed where we were and what was happening.
All-in-all, the surprise worked out pretty well!

Good luck!

Thank you soooooo much!!! :wave: All excellent ideas. I think with all of your help and a few in car distractions, I should be able to pull this off! :sohappy:

 

[PyroKinesis]

Maybe throw a handful of Hershey's Kisses or half-dollars into the backseat or something, and let them fight over them as you drive by the sign and the CM?

What a great picture. :lol::lol::lol: